Multifunctional sitting type elliptical trainer

ABSTRACT

A multifunctional elliptical trainer includes a frame, a seat, a leg training apparatus, and a hand training apparatus. The frame has at least roller rail. The seat is provided on the frame. The leg training apparatus includes a flywheel provided on the frame, two pedal bars, on each of which a pedal is provided, having ends pivotally connected to the flywheel, and having rollers to be engaged with the roller rail of the frame that the pedal bars slide along the roller rail. The hand training apparatus has two handles, each of which has a holding portion, pivoted on the frame and two linkages having opposite ends pivotally connected to the handles and the pedal bars respectively. User may sit on the seat, holds the handles, and steps on pedals of the pedal bars to train his/her legs and arms in an easy way.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates generally to a training machine, and moreparticularly to a multifunctional sitting type elliptical trainer.

2. Description of the Related Art

There are various types of training machine in the market to traindifferent muscles. Typically, a specific training machine mainly trainsa specific group of user's muscles. However, if the path of motion doesnot meet the natural motion of human when user gets train on thetraining machine, it might hurt the user.

For a conventional training machine with two pedals and two handles, thepedals are connected to the handles through linkages. The handles aremoved by the pedals that user may train his/her legs and arms when userholds the handles and steps on the pedals. The pedals of such trainingmachine only provides a curved path of motion that user only may step onthe machine, not walk on the machine, so that the loading isconcentrating on fewer muscles of legs when the user steps on thepedals. It will quickly overloads the muscles that user may not takeexercise on the machine for a long time.

Another conventional elliptical training machine provides an ellipticalpath of motion for feet. However, user has to stand on the machine totake exercise. Some elliptical training machines are provided with aseat that user may sit on it to take exercise. However, the path ofmotion when user sits to take exercise does not meet the natural motionthat such training machine still has above drawbacks.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The primary objective of the present invention is to provide amultifunctional elliptical trainer, on which user may sit to takeexercise in a path of motion close to natural motion.

According to the primary objective of the present invention, amultifunctional elliptical trainer includes a frame, a seat, a legtraining apparatus, and a hand training apparatus. The frame has atleast roller rail. The seat is provided on the frame. The leg trainingapparatus includes a flywheel provided on the frame, two pedal bars, oneach of which a pedal is provided, having ends pivotally connected tothe flywheel, and having rollers to be engaged with the roller rail ofthe frame that the pedal bars slide along the roller rail. The handtraining apparatus has two handles, each of which has a holding portion,pivoted on the frame and two linkages having opposite ends pivotallyconnected to the handles and the pedal bars respectively.

User may sit on the seat, holds the handles, and steps on pedals of thepedal bars to train his/her legs and arms in the same time. The paths ofmotions of arms and legs are similar to the natural paths that user maytake exercise for a long time in an easy way.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a first preferred embodiment of thepresent invention;

FIG. 2 to FIG. 5 are front views of the first preferred embodiment ofthe present invention, showing how the trainer works;

FIG. 6 is a front view of a second preferred embodiment of the presentinvention, showing the springs under the pedal;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a third preferred embodiment of thepresent invention; and

FIG. 8 and FIG. 9 are sketch diagrams of the third preferred embodimentof the present invention, showing the rotary holding bar on the handle.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

As shown in FIG. 5, an elliptical trainer 100 of the first preferredembodiment of the present invention provides user to sit on the trainerto train hands and legs. The path of motion of the present invention isclose to the natural path.

The elliptical trainer 100 includes a frame 10, a seat 20, a legtraining apparatus 30, and a hand training apparatus 40.

The frame 10 has several tubes connected together to stand on theground. The frame 10 includes two roller rails 12, a seat rail 14 and avertical tube 16. The wheel rails are parallel to each other. The seatrail 14 is inclined. The vertical tube 16 is in front of the seat rail14 to mount a panel or other device thereon.

The seat 20 is slidably connected to the seat rail 14 of the frame 10for reciprocation that user may move the seat 20 to change a distancebetween the seat 20 and the vertical tube 16 according to his/her bodysize.

The leg training apparatus 30 includes a flywheel 32, two pedal bars 34and two rollers 36. The flywheel 32 is under the seat 20 to be pivotedon the frame 10. The pedal bars 34 are at opposite sides of the verticaltube 16, each of which has a straight section 34 a and a bent section 34b.

The straight sections 34 a of the pedal bars 34 are connected to theflywheel 32 through cranks 38. Each of the pedal bars 34 is providedwith a roller 36 on the straight section 34 a to be engaged with theroller rail 12 respectively that the pedal bars 34 may move forward(FIG. 3) or backward (FIG. 5) along the roller rails 12. It will movethe bent sections 34 b of the pedal bars 34 in elliptical paths when thestraight sections 34 a reciprocate on the roller rails 12. Each of thepedal bars 34 is provided with a pedal 35 on the bent section 34 b.

An angle between the straight section 34 a and the bent section 34 b isan obtuse angle, a preferred angle is in a range between 100 degrees and160 degrees that user may have an east posture to sit on the seat 20 andstep on the pedals 35 to take exercise on the elliptical trainer 100 ofthe present invention.

The hand training apparatus 40 includes two handles 42 and two linkages44. The handles 42 have several bent portions and are pivoted on thevertical tube 16 of the frame 10. Each of the handles 42 has a holdingportion 42 a at an upper section and a lower end pivotally connected tothe bent section 34 b of the pedal bar 34 through the linkage 44 that amovement of the pedal bars 34 of the leg training apparatus 30 may drivethe handles 42 of the hand training apparatus 40 to swing. In otherwords, user may have a curved path of motion of hands and an ellipticalpath of motion of legs in the same time when he/she sits on the seat 20,holds the holding portions 42 a of the handles 42, and steps on pedals35 of the pedal bars 34.

When user sits on the seat 20, holds the holding portions 42 a of thehandles 42, and steps on pedals 35 of the pedal bars 34, he/she may havepaths of leg and hand motions similar to the natural paths that user maynot get hurt when he/she takes exercise on the trainer 100 of thepresent invention, and furthermore, user may take exercise for a longtime.

FIG. 6 shows an elliptical trainer of the second preferred embodiment ofthe present invention, which is similar to the elliptical trainer 1 ofthe first preferred embodiment, except that a pedal 50 is pivoted on thepedal bar 34 and two springs 52 are provided between the pedal 50 andthe pedal bar 34. The springs 52 urge the pedal 50 to contact user'sfoot all the time when the steps on the pedal 50.

FIG. 7 shows an elliptical trainer of the third preferred embodiment ofthe present invention, which is similar to the elliptical trainer 1 ofthe first preferred embodiment, except that a handle 60 has an operatingbar 62, a holding bar 64, and a knob 66. The operating bar 62 has avertical section 62 a to be the holding portion. The holding bar 64 ispivoted on the operating bar 62, and the knob 66 may be turned to fastenor to loose the holding bar 64. User may choose to hold the verticalsections 62 a of the operating bars 62 in a vertical posture or hold theholding bars 64 (FIG. 7) in a horizontal posture (FIG. 8), and he/shemay turn the knob 66 to loose the holding bars 64 for rotation (FIG. 9)or to fasten the holding bar 64 (FIG. 8).

The description above is a few preferred embodiments of the presentinvention. These equivalences of the present invention are still in thescope of claim construction of the present invention.

1. A multifunctional elliptical trainer, comprising: a frame having atleast roller rail; a seat provided on the frame; a leg trainingapparatus including a flywheel provided on the frame, two pedal bars, oneach of which a pedal is provided, having ends pivotally connected tothe flywheel, and having rollers to be engaged with the roller rail ofthe frame that the pedal bars slide along the roller rail; and a handtraining apparatus having two handles, each of which has a holdingportion, pivoted on the frame and two linkages having opposite endspivotally connected to the handles and the pedal bars respectively. 2.The multifunctional elliptical trainer as defined in claim 1, whereineach of the pedal bars has a straight section and a bent section, onwhich the pedal is provided, and between the straight section and thebent section is an obtuse angle.
 3. The multifunctional ellipticaltrainer as defined in claim 2, wherein the pedal is pivotally connectedto the bent section of the pedal bar, and a biasing means is providedbetween the pedal bar and the pedal.
 4. The multifunctional ellipticaltrainer as defined in claim 2, wherein the leg training apparatusfurther includes a crank with opposite ends pivotally connected to thepedal bar and the flywheel.
 5. The multifunctional elliptical trainer asdefined in claim 2, wherein the roller rail is straight, and the rolleris provided at the straight section of the pedal bar.
 6. Themultifunctional elliptical trainer as defined in claim 1, wherein thehandle has an operating bar and a holding bar pivotally connected to theoperating bar.
 7. The multifunctional elliptical trainer as defined inclaim 6, wherein the handle further has a knob to fasten and loose theholding bar.
 8. The multifunctional elliptical trainer as defined inclaim 6, wherein the frame is provided with a seat rail, and the seat isengaged with the seat rail to be slid along the seat rail.